Successful Selling Techniques for

My Experience on Etsy

It wasn’t always smooth sailing...

● 123 sales in the first year● What I did wrong in the beginning:

○ not enough items listed○ poor photography○ lack of advertising

● At the end of the first year, I decided to start over with a new shop

My Photography: A work in progress

November 2009 May 2010January 2010

Getting Started!● Do your homework!

○ Browse the Etsy category you’ll be in○ Find a role model

● Develop your Product○ Compare your product to others on Etsy○ Notice trends, and incorporate them into your shop○ Find your niche

Photography: Your Success Depends on it!

● Photos are the first, if not only thing that can get your customers’ attention

● Invest in a good camera (or borrow one!)● Pay a professional

○ good option for items you can remake

These are both photos of the same dress, from the same listing.

Automatic Photo CroppingAll photos you post to Etsy are cropped into a perfect square

thumbnail image

How to Outsmart the Auto-Crop:Try to make your photo close to a perfect square, with

a little extra room around the focal point

So the crop doesn’t cut into your item!

Making your photos stand out

Crop your photos into shapes Put 2 photos side by side by using simple cropping/ cut & paste.

(best for plain background shots)

By using photo editing programs such as Paint or Photoshop/Gimp.

Actual listing photo for a vintage hat

Thumbnail version (The hat is cropped out)

Macro for Item Close-ups● Item is in focus,

background is blurry● Even if the item is large,

still include a close up shot

● Use “Manual” setting● Hint: use a tripod and

the timer feature to minimize shake! (10 seconds)

Always try to enhance your photos.

First sales (2008) Recent Sales (2014)

Lighting is Key for Great Photos

A good backdrop can make the photo...

Ideas for smaller item backgrounds:

A piece of white oaktag paper (glossy side) propped up on a table against a wall creates a mini white

backdrop

Ideas for smaller item backgrounds:

Paper/book- great for macro photos

Rock/Stone Wood

Item Description Tips:

● Tell how your product is made with detail○ Buyers like to hear about the process○ Differentiates your product from others

● Break writing up into separate lines, not a whole paragraph

Item Description Tips:

● Be sure to include good measurements○ in inches/feet etc.○ add a size reference photo to your listing

Item Description Tips:● Include a link in the item description...

○ back to your shop homepage○ to a category in your shop○ to a similar item from your shop in a different size/color

● Links were meant to be clicked!

Item Description Tips:

● Note how you ship your orders ○ In a gift bag/box (include a photo in the listing!)○ What kind of mail service (USPS Priority etc)○ How quickly you can ship (the quicker the better)○ Offer a free gift with purchase

● Buyer incentives can often close the sale!

Packaging photo ideas:

Item description tip:● Copy and paste recurring info section into each

listing to save time during the listing process!○ edit info where necessary

The “Copy” Feature for Listings

● Copying your listings makes creating new listings easier

● Make sure to edit thoroughly and make any necessary changes

Tagging your items: more important than you think!

● What to tag:○ basic description of what your product is○ colors!○ themes it may fit- feel free to get creative○ mood words to describe the item○ season it fits with○ holiday it may fit with

● Why to focus on good tagging:○ treasury features○ so customers can find your items when they search

Effective Tagging Examples:

Use Etsy Shop Stats● You’ll need a google analytics account to get your Shop Stats

○ Here’s how to set it up: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/230

Etsy Shop Stats: KeywordsFind out what words people are searching for when they find your items

Focus on producing more items/variations that match your top keywords and promote them.

Use the Keyword Shop Stats:● Take out an Etsy Search Word ads:

Etsy Search Ads

● This article explains them: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/1036

● Etsy makes this process very easy○ They will provide you with the keywords you should use

based on your listings● Search ads are a good thing to test out

○ pick your budget, try it for a week, and keep it going if the results are worth it to you!

Etsy Search Ads

Etsy Shop Stats: TrafficFind out how people are finding you

Treasuries: The coveted Front Page Spot!

Tips for getting into treasuries:

● Good photography● Variety of colorful item photos in your shop● Effective item tagging● Relisting items that fit in with trending treasury

topics (and are tagged with the right buzzwords!)

Tips for getting into treasuries:● Sign up for the Etsy Success newsletter

○ Your account->Settings->Emails● Etsy will give you the trending tags for treasury features, as well as other

success tactics!

Starting Strong:

“You can’t sell an item you never posted.”“If you list it [well], they will buy.”

● If you are selling handmade, a varied inventory is important.

● If you are selling vintage, having a large inventory is KEY.

List New Items Often

● Creating new listings forces you to evolve your craft

● The more items you have available to shoppers, the more likely they’ll find something they want to buy

The most successful vintage Etsy shops have huge inventories:

The most successful vintage Etsy shops have huge inventories:

Handmade shops:

● Start off with a very varied inventory○ having different products available can help you find

your niche● Once you find something that sells, run with it!

○ develop more variations of your best seller○ sales will follow

My Niche on Etsy

My first tree necklace sale: October 7th 2010

One of my current tree necklaces.

981/1088 orders

contained a tree of life necklace

What if I never realized the tree necklaces had selling potential?

I developed variations of my best seller:

Pricing Strategies● For new shops, it’s best to start off with very

competitive pricing to drive sales up.○ Once established, you can incrementally raise your prices○ Prices of sold items are not shown

● If possible, offer inexpensive products○ Some customers may love your shop, but are on a very

limited budget○ Get that impulse buy!○ Make a variation of your best-selling products in a lower

price range

It’s good to have a wide range of prices:

● Knowing who you’re selling to can help you come up with the correct prices for optimal sales:

Music Festival-attending girls who want to be fairies...

Brides who are spending thousands of dollars on a wedding- what’s another $180?

When starting a new shop...

● Do all of your behind the scenes work BEFORE opening your shop○ product development○ photo taking/editing○ description writing○ shop policy writing ○ shop banner design

● That way, when you open, you’re more likely to start making sales sooner, instead of wasting your grand opening time developing your shop’s appearance

Relisting: Etsy’s moneymaker and yours too...

● There are 15,692,075 items currently for sale on Etsy● The second you list an item, it goes to the top of the list

○ Recently listed items○ Category section○ Keyword search

● As soon as someone else lists an item after yours, it gets bumped down on the list

Relisting: Etsy’s moneymaker and yours too...

● Don’t expect to post an item, and for someone to see it a few days later○ You’ll have to relist!

Relisting: Etsy’s moneymaker and yours too...

● Relisting an item will keep your shop visible to shoppers browsing on Etsy

Tips for Successful Relisting:

● Develop a relisting budget!○ knowing what you feel comfortable spending per month,

you can figure out how many relistings per day ■ $25 per month/$0.20 per relisting=125 relistings/28 days=4.46

relistings per day

● What to relist:○ The item(s) that gets the most attention

■ clicks, favorites, treasuries, sales● spend your $0.20 wisely...

Tips for Successful Relisting

● I personally like to spread my relistings out throughout the day

● When to relist:○ During the American workday

■ (The morning here is late-night in Australia)■ People browse Etsy at the office

○ Evenings

Tips for Successful Relisting:

● Experiment with relisting:○ Every type of item has a different audience○ Different audiences shop at different times

● Scrutinize your results to find out what works○ Try relisting various items at different times

■ Check how many clicks/favorites each gets■ Edit your relisting schedule to reflect the results

Etsy on Sale App

● Easiest shop management tool!● Automatic Relisting● Holds storewide sales● Set it and forget it!

Etsy on Sale App

Etsy on Sale App

Etsy on Sale App: Holding Sales

● You can hold a storewide sale○ % discount ○ $ off

● You set the time frame

Etsy on Sale App: Holding Sales

Etsy on Sale App: Holding SalesThis is what your photos will look like during your sale:

You can add a sale prefix to the title of your items, so when people are browsing Etsy,

“sale” is the first thing they see in your title.

If relisting doesn’t work for you:

Your photos might need enhancement● You haven’t found your niche● People aren’t searching for items like yours

○ Keep developing new products until one sticks!● People aren’t browsing your section often

○ try putting your item in a different section category!

● The wedding market is HUGE on Etsy○ Tailor some of your items to fit into this category

Sites other than Etsy to increase traffic:

● Facebook- start a business page/use fb ads○ https://www.facebook.com/business/overview

● Pinterest● Wanelo● Stumbleupon● Start a Blog on Blogspot/Tumblr/Wordpress● Twitter● Youtube: make a how-to video● Instagram

Don’t be afraid to change...

● It’s perfectly fine, and often a good idea, to completely change your product offerings.

● Go where the money is.○ it’s very difficult to make obscure, niche products a

cash cow○ find genres that are trendy and fit with your skill set,

or adapt your current products to fit in with trends

Elephantine: Changing Directions

● www.elephantine.etsy.com● 8,845 sales● “I’ve been using Etsy since 2007. I first joined to buy

gifts and craft supplies, and then I started selling felt toys and greeting cards. I only sold enough of them to call it a hobby, and I wasn’t that enthusiastic about it. So I took a break, gave it some space, then re-opened my shop with a different look and a brand new collection: light, everyday jewelry.”

Elephantine’s first sales... Elephantine’s current sales...

Taking your Etsy business to the next level:

● Sell in person at markets and street fairs:○ Asbury Fresh is a great place to sell on Sunday afternoons in

the summer■ AsburyFresh.com

○ Street Fairs ■ Streetfairs.org

○ Local events in your town■ google craft shows/street fairs- there are countless options

Craft Shows/Street Fairs: tips● Make sure to apply in advance! Events can fill up with vendors

quickly.● Many applications require a tax ID number/ photos of your

work/display● Get a Square or credit card reader● Be sure to have business cards (not only at events but always in your

wallet!)● Invest in an EZ-up tent● Create a beautiful display- the more professional it looks, the more

sales you’ll get! (pinterest/google for ideas)● Get a banner printed with your logo!

Selling to Retail Stores:

● Choose your target store type○ Similar style products○ Browse the store to see if they carry any handmade

items (boutiques usually do!)● Give a sample of your most popular product and a

lookbook with photos and pricing, leave a business card

Selling to Retail Stores: Pricing

● Wholesale pricing: normally 40%-50% off regular retail price○ Increase your prices to allow for profits even with

wholesale● Offer consignment for first-time carriers

○ Risk-free for boutiques, a foot in the door for you!

Developing your Business Plan

● Set goals○ Hours budgeted per week○ How many items will you have for sale?○ Sales goals